Normally, I try to get atleast six hours sleep a night, but lately I'm finding it harder to fall asleep, no matter how tired I am. I'm having less than three hours sleep a night, and even then it couldn't really be called sleeping... by the time my brain decides it's time for sleep and I stop dreaming, I have to get up again. It's affecting my eating habits and moods as well: I'm not eating as much as I used to, I just don't get hunggry and my moods are becoming more and more erratic.
My thoughts will keep me up and I cannot just 'switch-off' no matter how hard I try, and there's been times where I would stay up because I thought to sleep would be too boring. I used to be able to sleep anytime, anywhere, but now I'm finding it hard even to just stop thinking for a while... when I do sleep, I always dream and I wake up feeling more exhausted than when my head first hit the pillow.
I've tried meditation, and whilst it used to work, the effects arebecoming less and less helpful.
I must admit that I am in quite a stressful period in my life, and my circumstances may be affecting my sleep patterns, but I highly doubt it as the problems with my sleep patterns were there long before my other personal problems.
I've seen a counsellor about it, and she's offered many pieces of advice, most of which have not worked when I've tried them. The rare few things that did work ceased to do so after a few nights. She has also diagnosed me with having dysthimic episodes, which are similar to having depressive episodes but the key diffference between the two is that while people with deppression have trouble staying awake, people with dysthimia have trouble getting to sleep. I don't want to go on medication for this but I realise that this may be the only alternative.
What, if any, alternatives are there to taking medication for insomnia, and have they worked for you?
My thoughts will keep me up and I cannot just 'switch-off' no matter how hard I try, and there's been times where I would stay up because I thought to sleep would be too boring. I used to be able to sleep anytime, anywhere, but now I'm finding it hard even to just stop thinking for a while... when I do sleep, I always dream and I wake up feeling more exhausted than when my head first hit the pillow.
I've tried meditation, and whilst it used to work, the effects arebecoming less and less helpful.
I must admit that I am in quite a stressful period in my life, and my circumstances may be affecting my sleep patterns, but I highly doubt it as the problems with my sleep patterns were there long before my other personal problems.
I've seen a counsellor about it, and she's offered many pieces of advice, most of which have not worked when I've tried them. The rare few things that did work ceased to do so after a few nights. She has also diagnosed me with having dysthimic episodes, which are similar to having depressive episodes but the key diffference between the two is that while people with deppression have trouble staying awake, people with dysthimia have trouble getting to sleep. I don't want to go on medication for this but I realise that this may be the only alternative.
What, if any, alternatives are there to taking medication for insomnia, and have they worked for you?
http://ehealthforum.com/health/topic119108.html
Helped me. Very hard to stick to at first, but keep at it and you'll feel much better, I promise.
*warm milk just before bed. Just warm a full cup or more of milk until it is pleasantly warm, not hot and drink it.
*take a warm bath right before bed.
*drink a special herbal tea that is supposed to make one sleepy (in the states, it is called Sleepy Time tea by Celestial Seasonings).
If these do not work, I would encourage you to get meds. There are many sleep meds that are new and are not habitforming or make you feel like you are drugged when you wake up. The simple fact of the matter is that you NEED good sleep to function properly. Your health and wellbeing will be badly affected without good sleep. So please get meds, if these ways don't work. Good luck.
That was the first thing I tried and it worked for a few weeks before stopping again...
And I will try that hypoglycemic diet.... thanx for the advice.
It wet away for a while.. but since then my circumstances have changed yet again, I've changed counselors since then and I went through a period of being able to sleep. It has come back again though... I've also now been diagnosed with mild depression.
Don't exercise two hours before bed and try melatonin in small doses (1-3 mg)
I also agree with "starving" yourself of sleep and resting the next night. Works for me like a charm!
If stress is the case then alcohol probably won't help because it causes an irregularity in your brain chemicals, giving you anxiety and making things worse.
Hope that helps!
Accept it for what it is; get up, entertain yourself; know that it won't last forever.
Search the Internet for "sleep hygiene".
Relax: try to 'decompress' and relax for 20 min before bed. It's normal for me to lie 20 min to 3 hours in bed before i'll get up. I'm usually really angered in the process. Try to let that go.
Try to relax your eyelids and eyeballs. Concentrate on that for a little while if it's not too frustrating. Sometimes it works for me.
Good luck
As far of it affecting my sleep it's been really messed up sometimes I insomniate then I'll start sleeping normal for a while then I crash into a heavy sleepy period. I'm a coffee drinker so I think during my sleepy depressive mode while I'm drinking coffee I build up a coffee pool and if the coffee pool should get ignited then it's probably a long night and day ahead of Me. It sux but it's the nature of the beast.